What's new pussycat?
 

Well, tank is coming up on the 3 month mark so I figure this would be a good time for an update.

First up are some toys. A few weeks ago I ordered one of these display panels for my Profilux. It is nice to be able to glance accross the room and see what the tank is up to.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2660/...56128b3594.jpg

I also got one of these LED moon lights. What's really cool about it is it lets me program in sunrise/sunset (red lights), moon phases (blue lights), and lightening storms (white lights).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2730/...a3c6599ff9.jpg

Finally, I also added a 3 pump dosing station to my rig. Profilux makes two versions of these, a standalone one and one that hooks up to the controller itself. I got the one that hooks up to the controller since I have the controller.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/...18b86e56fe.jpg

I wasn't sure how many pumps I wanted at first but after doing some research I decided all I really needed were 3. Alk, Calcium and Magnesium. Turns out I really only needed two. More on that later.

That LED thing is KIT! Have you set it up yet? How does the sunrise/sunset look?

That View2 is one sweet piece of hardware! Christmas came early eh? I was going to get the stand-alone doser with 3 pumps later on too. Curious as to why you need only 2...

Two Parts are better than One.
 

So even though I've had the doser for a little while now, I have only just recently started to dose. I am dosing Randy's Two Part, Baking Soda for Alk and Calcium from Littlesilvermax. I also ordered up some Magnesium from him but haven't dosed that yet.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2637/...6475f48eb0.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2510/...4d5beb490b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/...db2037b40b.jpg

To figure out how much I needed to dose I simply propped up my chemistry to the levels I wanted (8 dkH, 420 calc, 1350 Mag.). I then tested the big 3 (alk, calc, and mag), once a day to see how much the tank consumed. I did this for 3 days to come up with an average consumption rate. Looks like I use about 144ml of Alk in 24 hours. I dose this at an interval of 6 hours, 12am, 6am, 12pm, 6pm. I consume about 200ml of Calcium in 24 hours. I also dose this at an interval of 6 hours, 3am, 9am, 3pm, 9pm. I have yet to figure out how much magnesium I'm consuming as it doesn't seem to drop that much at all. So I'm currently only dosing the two parts via the doser and will probably just manually dump in magnesium whenever (unless I can figure out the actual depletion rate).

Current tank parameters are:

Specific Gravity: 1.026 (ish)
Alk: 8.5
Calc: 420
Mag: 1200

Ammonia: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphates: 0
(can't seem to get a reading for any of these on my test kits. Might start trying a different set of test kits soon).

Runing Rowaphos (gfo) and carbon in two phosban reactors. Media changed once a month.

25 gallon water change once a week. I briefly toyed with the idea of doing a water change every other day. That didn't last long!

aside: I just finished watching the new "V". Wow, I think I'm in love! And the show's not bad either.

Okay, now that the boring stuff is out of the way..

Over the past couple of months I've picked up some frags, colonies, watched some frags grow out to colonies, some frags do absolutely nothing and witnessed a coral go through an identity crisis.

Okay, so let's start with the old..

Here's a Christmas Millepora that I got from Fooser back in August. The first picture is dated August 29th 2009. The second one was taken yesterday (i think).

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/...7cc96dbf8a.jpg .. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2698/...8f137a23ed.jpg

Here's a blue polyp Acropora (forget where I got it from). First pic taken on August 29th. Second one taken yesterday.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/...8dc1fac0a8.jpg .. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2752/...3c25706942.jpg

A bunch of other frags and colonies are growing pretty good too but watching the frags grow out like this is the most obvious and rewarding.

What's "V"?
:cry:

Here are some new frags and colonies.

Bird of Many Colours.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2518/...f50350a1a3.jpg

Chalice
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/...046582b2b0.jpg

Blastomusa
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3485/...c4cc5a6ba9.jpg

Acropora sp.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/...1e52c44072.jpg

Granulosa ?
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2749/...0c3142c55c.jpg

Acropora sp.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2674/...b91d0f52fa.jpg

another Granulosa ?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3528/...8f1418cf5d.jpg

Acropora sp.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2554/...ab9ec653a5.jpg

fun shot of purple Goniopota hosting a clown.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3522/...2f59dacbbe.jpg

A new addition:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2576/...52c270efdd.jpg

Hanging out in the pits of hell
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2545/...292c166e_o.jpg

Zoo Garden
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/...59e670b5b2.jpg

A shot across the reef from underwater!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3487/...5abb0ca62b.jpg

Oh I'm not done yet! Watch out, I'm just getting started here!

How about some tank shots?

South Face:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2733/...6276c08c_o.jpg

East Face:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2700/...20ac540124.jpg

North Face:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/...07cbe02d_o.jpg

Some close ups:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2444/...9f3c6ab847.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2558/...082bb87c_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2607/...5844e4ec_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2582/...fb4a9ac4_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2571/...dc07af34_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2626/...10bd39ec_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2751/...571c17aa_o.jpg

Fun with the Top Down.
 

Okay, now the fun part. So I was bored yesterday and decided to try some top down shots. It occurred to me that my top is open and I had space in between the top of the open canopy and the light fixture to sneak in and look at the tank from the top down (without having to remove anything). It was quite a cool perspective! These are all taken with an Olympus underwater camera. I wasn't sure how these would turn out but I have to say I was shocked when I saw the pictures. I know there was a thread about this (viewing corals top down and how amazing they look) that Lobsterboy posted a little while back. Again, wow, they really do look amazing from the top down.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/...3dbe5177aa.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/...80ce774604.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/...d5f3d1ed7a.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2481/...41fde0844b.jpg

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http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2480/...5152bc095e.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2474/...def5fb721e.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3512/...ee8c6d8d16.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2736/...6c3b9be28f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2437/...08e39e9061.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2547/...7e865ab89d.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/...9d98acf1c6.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2532/...daf979eba7.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2597/...88853f1753.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3519/...73003f0897.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/...d7df4be5a6.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2672/...4e2b6818b3.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2588/...6c1e798238.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2434/...40eeebff28.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/...1897634f0d.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/...a53c106bb1.jpg

Red vs Blue
 

So at the beginning of this update I mentioned something about a coral with an identity crisis. Well, here it is! This was/is a Red Convexa frag from Snappy. It was quite red when I got it. I guess half if it got too much light or something because it expelled all of its red, was white for a while, and then started to colour up again, but in blue!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2693/...fd7c4738b9.jpg

I'm curious to see which side wins out.

Well, I think that's it for me. Hope you enjoyed the photos and thanks for checking in. See y'all in 3 months!

Oh yes, I like it, I like it a lot :-) Actually, the red sunrise and sunset isn't a big deal (to me). What's really cool is the white lightening LEDs!

Yes, love the ViewII! I can see it from the kitchen while making dinner or what have you. Although, I don't *really* need it since the profilux emails me vital stats to my iPhone very 3 hours :lol:

As mentioned, I'm really only dosing Alk and Calc. I suppose eventually I might dose Mag via the doser but I don't think I deplete enough to ?? Not sure yet, still playing around with it.

The "re-imagined" TV series. Do a google, you'll find it :-) The only thing better than aliens invading are HOT aliens invading!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2629/...8dc1fac0a8.jpg
This is a blue polyp austera you also picked up from fooser :P
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/...7cc96dbf8a.jpg
This mille is looking great! I am glad you picked it up!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3493/...a53c106bb1.jpg
Hmm.. That one looks like the one you picked up from me too!

Looks like you got yourself a ton of nice looking pieces added to your collection too. I think it's almost time for me to come to your place next time! So....when's the clipper coming out?:P

Gorgeous corals! Top downs are the shizz. :D


I PMed you asking about one of your corals too.

Is that your "38" from red coral? i am starting to think its the same species at ora purple plasma

Very nice pics man.....+1 on "when do the clippers come out?"

Yeah she was in Firefly, that was a great show.

Yes it is! Whatever it is it is pretty cool :-)

snip snip ? I think I need a few more months of growth before the snippers come out, but some are starting to crowd.


Oh right, I remember now! Ya, love the christmas mille. And yes, that last one is your pearlberry. Can't wait until it colonizes. I think it has settled in now and really started to ramp up. It is cool how some of these frags can end up looking totally different (in a good way), from its mother colony in someone else's tank. Sure, come by anytime :-) (so long as I'm home :-) )

its gorgous. mine had almost no color when i picked it up and it is not slowly getting its color back. I swear after seeing your pictures and others, i am really debating over t5's for sps. More so the TEK's. I will have to go through your thread and see what you are dosing

Ya when I got mine it was pretty pale. I almost forgot which one it was that I actually ordered. Luckily it did not take long to get its colours back. The suttle purple base is really nice.

Honestly, I've only *just* started to dose randys two part (alk and calc). Prior to this week I wasn't dosing anything. I just picked up a bunch of zeo additives but so far have only dumped in coral snow (like just a few days ago). Bottom line is the corals look great before even dosing anything. I'm curious now to see if zeo will make any difference.

ya thats some amazing color for not dosing anything. lol i am losing more and more faith in my t5's. Greg and I had a good chat about it and his rainbow stylo used to be half under the t5's and the other half under his MH and the difference was insane with more intense colors from the MH. I also think its mostly the types of corals. I like the looks of zoa's and lps under t5's better but sps ussually looks way better under MH.

Once again. amazing

I totally agree with everything you've said there. I know that lots of other people won't though :-). Also, I am not the only one who has been successful without dosing. If I'm not mistaken, Fooser doesn't dose anything either. Well, at least he didn't when I was there this past summer, and all his SPS look phenominal. Combo t5 and halides FTW! :-D

ha ha ha i don't think anthony even does water changes on a weekly schedual. and yes his colors are amazing. oh i totally agree with the MH+T5 combo. If you don't mind me asking, how much did the sunlight supply unit with ballasts end up costing? I am debating about ordering that Odyssea 48" 2x250watt Metal Halide unit to try out my little theory. its only $200us and at that price I can still keep the T5's laying around.

Go for the combo Laurier!! haha
Water change?? What is that? haha. You are correct. I am definitely guilty... But i swear I will change!! well eventually anyways, probably not anytime within the next few months.
I agree that it is not a 'requirement' to supplement or add anything really fancy in terms of additives. In fact i havent even dosed my 2 part in months. Like Kien said, even before dosing, his stuff looked awesome, and the proof is in the pictures he posted. Which I might add they do look amazing, great colors and very healthy looking SPS for sure Kien, good job! Maybe after seeing your tank thread or even seeing it in person I will get up some motivation to do something more. I have a 450gallon tank in the works right now. It will be built in the basement of my new house, the tank builder is putting it together in house of course haha. You should come and help me with the exterior! I showed my fiance your thread and she was like "hey isnt that what you were going to do but with black panels from Ikea?!" I was liek yes, I think great minds must think alike haha

$950 for the fixture
$181 for each 250 watt galaxy ballast (they make a dual ballast that will run two 250s and comes out cheaper per watt; Josh had one). I had one too but it kept failing so now I run just singles.
$75 for each of the ushio 14ks

dude, when I was there I remember you saying you had forgotten to run your skimmer for a long time!

Wow, 450 built into the basement!? Gonna give Greg a run for his money I see. Man would love to help you out with that build! I'll just pretend it was mine. Haha. So much potential!! I am envisioning the aquascaping now..

Tank is looking great Kien! I would love to see it in person one day :)

thanks :-) A bunch of people that I've met have been asking actually.. Maybe when things settle down around the house (we just had a baby!), I'll have some peeps over to shoot the breeze.

Take a Swim
 

The 150g Mixed Reef Video ..

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Great vids, that's a nice looking RBTA wink wink :)

Congrats on the baby!

Tank looks awesome kien! Rockwork is fantastic!:biggrin:

Wow, how can I not try SPS after seeing this :wink:

Amazing. That first coral in post 172 blows my mind, could you tell me what it is?

Thanks! Love the RBTA, I think it is int he process of splitting AGAIN! Looking back at the vids now I think next time I'll turn of the 6800gph powerheads first.. hehe. But then that still won't keep the boxfish from picking at me.. the little bugger.

Thanks!

I believe that is a montipora of some sort. I don't know its name, only that it has a green base and blue polyps. I have seen it posted for sale online as a digitata but I'm told it is not a digitata so *shrug*. Sorry I don't have much more information than that.

Absolutely gorgeous tank. Very healthy, colourful corals. Truly amazing reef system you've built there. Should be proud since this is the look many aspire to, but few ever achieve.

Anthony

Yeah, um .. wow.

Kinda makes me want to just throw in the towel actually. Forget it, it's not worth even continuing in the hobby. Oh, but you'll have to put up with me bunking down in your living room so I can just look at your tank whenever I want to. No big deal. I won't eat too much of your food or anything and I don't stink as much as some. I can bring over the occasional Bolsa too if you want.

PS. Socket programming is just plain idiotic man. Idiotic. Id. I. Ot. Ic. !!! My eyes are completely bugged out. Your videos make for a site for sore eyes today. Thanks for sharing them. Enjoy lunch tomorrow if you go. :)

Thanks, you're welcome over anytime. Just don't take home my orchids. :-)

Since you brought it up, I was thinking about DNA connections more at dinner time (i know bad habit). I was wondering what would happen to the connections socket if all remotes are OFF SCAN but the remote is still sending data.. would we run into the same failure mode.. i wonder.. anyway just thinking out loud. If i go i will make mine twice as spicy in your honour.